


A Lover's Request

by thereader2929



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-05-31 10:48:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6467266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thereader2929/pseuds/thereader2929
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The things Therese would do for her Carol..........</p>
<p>"Carol, you're the only one I'll do this with and do this for."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Linda: You see, Case, the trouble with me is I never could decide whether I wanted to be Joan of Arc, Florence Nightingale, or John L. Lewis.

Johnny: What's the matter, you fed up?

Linda: To the neck.

Stealing glances every few minutes at her young lover, Carol found it amusing that Therese was able to pay that much attention throughout what she often considered, an ordeal. The uncomfortable seats, always too hard for her liking, the cramped legroom and the annoying person sitting in the front who almost always had to get up in the middle of things. But time and again, she found herself saying yes when Therese had asked to spend Friday evenings watching old movies in a theater. Her hand reached over and she laced their fingers together. This was her favorite part of the night. The hand holding in the middle of everything and everyone, and she need not worry. It was too dark for any prying eyes to be suspicious of her behavior.

"You were quite taken with the movie, weren't you?" asked Carol as they strolled along 42nd street, taking their time, collecting their thoughts.

"I liked the story. I liked her in it. I like her. All the movies she had starred in. It's rather unfortunate she's been regarded the box office poison," said Therese now walking a little closer next to Carol. She was always more quiet than usual and a little sentimental after a movie, and having Carol walking beside her was a consolation.

"A client of mine, well, she's also someone I've known for quite a long time. From all the parties I used to attend with Harge. She looks just like her."

"Really?" Therese's eyes brightened and her pace slowed down.

"She's nice, always open to new ideas. I've always adored her political viewpoints, those on feminism, in particular," said Carol when a thought sprang into her mind. "Perhaps, I was wondering, perhaps, I could introduce you to each other." Her face turned slightly toward Therese, trying to gauge the younger woman's reaction. "Would you like that?"

"Well, I don't mind. I mean, as long as we could find the time to meet," replied Therese with a sheepish grin. If someone lived up to being Carol's friend, Therese was most certainly interested in forming a bond with that person.

\------------  
"Darling, now I know I've said I'd go insane if you were intimate with anyone else but me. I just, I want you to know, as long as we're in it together, I'll be fine," said Carol as they were lying in their bed having no clothes on, after another love making session.

"What do you mean?" Therese flicked her head upwards. She pulled herself up and was now resting on her elbows. She looked quizzically at the older woman.

"Well, tonight's dinner with Jennifer was a lot of fun. You got along well and I could tell she was quite taken with you," said Carol, somewhat lost on how she was going to broach the subject.

"She was nice and you were right, I could've sworn she was Katharine if I hadn't known any better. I mean, did you notice that nearly everyone in the restaurant was trying not to stare?" Therese sounded eager.

"So, do you think, well, would you like to see her again?" Carol asked, her hand gently moving up and down Therese's upper arm.

"Why not ask her to join us for a movie next time, if she's up for it." Therese said without giving it much thought.

"That's perfect. I was thinking maybe she could come back to our apartment after the movie," said Carol looking intently into the younger woman's eyes.

"Why?" Therese found herself looking at Carol quizzically for the second time that evening.

"Sweetheart, I love you. I'd be very very upset, if, if you find someone else attractive. But I know that, I know sometimes couples do this. They do this just for sex and -"

Therese lowered her head, tears threatening to fall any moment. "Am I not enough for you? Are you not happy with me?"

"No. no. no. Oh, my darling. My sweet sweet Therese." Carol sat up and cradled Therese's head in her hands, pressing it to her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I made you think that."

\----------  
"Therese, sweetheart. Breakfast's ready." Carol was calling from the kitchen as Therese hurriedly pushed the last button through the slit of her blouse. She was not running late for work but she wanted to leave ample time to talk to Carol about what she had in mind.

She skipped into the kitchen, wrapped her arms around Carol who was washing a few things in the sink. She stood on tiptoe and gave Carol a peck on the cheek before sitting herself down at the dining table, her back facing Carol.

Carol, her eyes following Therese, said, "Somebody's in a good mood this morning."

"I've been thinking, I mean I've been doing a little research. I think I, I'd like to give it a try. You know, that thing you said about couples doing it." Her face, a little flushed as she put a piece of bread into her mouth.

Her breath hitched, Carol stopped what she was doing, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Regretting she had even brought this up, she said, "Sweetheart, I know it was my idea and you weren't too keen-"

"Carol, I want to do it. If it doesn't turn out well, we don't ever have to do it again. But, but I'd like to at least, try it. Try it with you." Her breakfast, now cast aside, she held the older woman's gaze and she felt it deep in her veins, she had never loved anyone this much and probably, never would. If there was anything she would like to experiment together with someone, it would be with her Carol.

Carol wiped her hands dry and glided over to where Therese was sitting. Her front pressed lightly against the younger woman's back, she placed her hands on each of Therese's shoulders. "Are you sure?" asked Carol, her voice barely audible.

Therese shifted her head and looked up, in the same way she did, months and months ago in the motel room in Waterloo, where she and Carol had shared their very first kiss. And just like that night in that same sitting position, Therese, once again, unhesitatingly made known her desires and allowed Carol to take charge.


	2. Chapter 2

Some were sparkly, some colorful, some ornately handmade, and yet there were single toned ones that mysteriously stood out more than the rest. Her hand fell upon a pair of oval shaped turquoise earrings and she smiled knowingly. Knowing these were the ones. These looked and felt right.

"Shall we put them on?" Jennifer who was eager with anticipation, held the hand mirror up for Therese.

Jennifer Duke, renowned art collector and philanthropist among New York's socialites, had just traveled to India and certain parts of South East Asia acquiring exotic artifacts for her family estate in New Jersey. As she was invited over for dinner, she had brought along a dozen pieces of jewelries for Therese to choose from in token of her new found friendship with the younger woman. 

Therese was very much aware where this supposed friendship would lead to. She and Carol had had lengthy talks about it since that morning she decided to give this perilous yet exciting adventure a shot. 

Therese casually brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and slipped the hook on one earring through her earlobe with much ease. Admiring the piece of jewelry on her and smiling bashfully into the mirror, she attempted to do the same for the other ear but somehow, like it was meant to be, the hook was caught halfway through the piercing and she whimpered. 

Jennifer leapt at the chance and offered her help. "Here. Let me." She gently maneuvered Therese's face to the side and held her chin in place before slipping the earring through her ear. She paused for a second, relishing the perfection sitting before her. "I've never laid eyes on anyone as breathtaking as you," said Jennifer looking longingly into a pair of emerald green eyes. Her yearning shone through so strongly making what was to happen next, imminent. But, Therese's trepidation was suddenly visible, glaring right at Jennifer, stabbing at her hopes, threatening to put out her blazing desires. Undaunted, the older woman quickly reacted to what was in front of her and placed a reassuring hand on Therese's arm. "You don't have to love me. It's alright. You don't have to feel anything for me. I know....I understand." 

And just at that moment, Carol, holding three empty glasses in one hand and a wine decanter in the other, set one foot over the threshold of their bedroom. She paused as her eyes were met with the sight unfolding before her. Therese and Jennifer. Jennifer and her dearest Therese. For a split second there, all she did was stare blankly as if her mind was momentarily abducted. She toyed with the idea of forging along but her feet were too numb to obey. So she observed from the doorway. She observed how Jennifer's hand was on Therese's face, sliding down her cheek, lingering on her chin. Carol squinted her eyes and hardened her gaze. 

——————————————

By the time the second bottle of red wine was two third empty, Therese only had one thought on her mind. Wine always made her feel naughty, unrestrained, unapologetic, and always in a good way. However, it should not be assumed that she depended on alcohol to scare off inhibitions for she could be as uninhibited as any woman could, without a single drink in her, given the right circumstances and with the right person. But tonight, apart from her Carol, there was one other person. One other person sharing their bed, their very private sanctuary. And this person was now coming face to face with her. Nearer and nearer, until the gap between them, undistinguishable. This person's mouth was so precariously close, she could feel the person's uncoordinated breathing against her forehead, her nose and her lips. 

As she looked up, a pair of blue eyes flaming with lust, pure lust, and nothing else, were pleading with her to continue. Desperately seeking. Urgently wanting permission. And when these eyes failed to secure what they needed, this person's lips moved in boldly and captured Therese's mouth in them. These lips traversed the contours of Therese's mouth, moving from one side to the other, moving back and forth, moving rather awkwardly. These lips were ignorant of the ways to make Therese's own lips part on their own will. These lips were impatient. These lips, these lips were not Carol's lips!

"Stop!" Therese leapt up and literally held Jennifer at arm's length. Her eyes were raging, not with disgust for the other woman, but raging with the most honest declaration of what her heart truly wanted. Who her heart truly belonged to. And why her little heart would not let anyone else come near her other than the one and only person she wanted.

—————————————————

She knelt before Therese and took the younger woman in her arms. "Shh....shh. My darling, oh, my darling Therese." She held her as tightly as her arms allowed. 

"I'm sorry....I just couldn't....sorry." Therese said, her voice filled with guilt. 

Those words, emerging from her young lover's mouth, were the most heart shattering words that Carol had to hear. "Therese, it's not your fault. I...I should've known better. Shouldn't have let it come this far." 

"The person could look like a movie star, or even be a real movie star for all I care, or a Greek goddess or ..... or someone I've idolized since I was thirteen.....I....I just couldn't let them touch me the way I let you touch me. It's just.....she wasn't you," said the younger woman, clearly distraught by the events of the evening. 

"Oh, my darling. I know....I know. I was wrong. I...I thought I'd be alright but, but I couldn't stop you.....I was too proud to say anything seeing you and Jennifer together. I'm sorry....I'm sorry....sorry."

And with each apology, she sprinkled kisses on Therese's forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, attempting to kiss all the regrets away. She kissed and kissed until she felt the younger woman kissing her back. But Therese's kisses were deep and compelling, and the contact quickly became heated. Clothes that needed to come off, came off. Shoes were kicked aside. The urgency so potent, if all the apartment furniture could move, they would make way for these two souls. 

Carol took one final look at her young lover for confirmation. And using just one hand, she grabbed both Therese's wrists, held them above the younger woman's head and pinned them up against the wall next to the foyer. She could barely contain herself. All those emotions she had foolishly kept confined in the weeks leading up to this fateful night. 

Therese's eyes immediately darkened with a certain kind of earnestness. Except, there was also a tinge of innocence within those green green eyes. She looked so young, almost too young to be held against a wall. And Carol somehow forgot how and where to start. 

"Take me, Carol." Therese was not pleading. She was commanding. 

Carol snapped right out and her lips instinctively made their way to Therese's arms. Those same arms whose hands and wrists she had held captive over the younger woman's crown. Her lips kissed their way up along the length, alternating between left and right, and made their way back down before settling on a spot halfway between Therese's left elbow and shoulder. She kissed a little harder and nibbled a little longer on this spot, leaving an unmistakable mark, for this would be a mark on a limb closest to her young lover's heart. 

Her free hand wandered onto Therese's face, gently brushing the side of her face, and sliding down her cheek. Her fingers were carefully tracing the outline of her young lover's lips when all of a sudden, Therese parted her lips and captured two of Carol's fingers, pulling them deep in her mouth, making the older woman gasp at the unexpected boldness.

"Aren't you full of surprises?" Carol said with a smirk while trying to maintain her grip on Therese's wrists against the wall. 

Therese let go of Carol's fingers, slowly edging them out with her tongue, and a playful smile formed on her face. 

Taking her now freed fingers, Carol moved them downward, along the front of Therese's neck, to her collarbone, to the valley between her breasts, to her stomach, to below her navel. And then she stopped. As if she had had a change of heart. She gazed at her young lover who was now breathing erratically, her mouth slightly agape, her eyes pleading, completely at Carol's disposal. 

With a swift motion, Carol turned her hand, palm facing upward and dug her perfectly manicured nails into Therese's soft skin eliciting a loud gasp from the younger woman. She dragged her nails upwards past Therese's navel, her stomach, her chest, her neck. Red lines quickly formed along the path. 

When her fingers came to Therese's lips, she pulled them away playfully not wanting to be captured again. 

"Carol...." Therese's chest was rising and falling. 

Carol leaned down and kissed her young lover's lips so very tenderly as if making up for the short grief caused by her nails earlier. 

"Sweetheart, if I....if I let go of your hands....would you...."

"Yes....yes...I'll touch myself for you," said Therese, out of breath and ready to do just about anything, anything at all that Carol requested. 

So Carol released the captive wrists and watched the younger woman keep her promise. With her head and one hand against the wall, Therese's other hand slid between her thighs. She swiped some of her wetness and started stroking up and down, her eyes never leaving Carol's. Knowing that Therese's legs needed more support, Carol pulled a chair from the foyer and placed it next to her young lover's leg.

"Darling....."

Like she was able to read Carol's unspoken demand, Therese lifted one leg and rested her knee on the seat of the chair, widening the distance between her thighs. And in that exposed position, she continued rubbing herself with renewed insistence. 

Carol drank in the sight in disbelief, disbelieving how impeccably alluring her young lover was. How very aroused she made her feel. How utterly daft she was to even want to share her precious Therese with a third party. She bit her lower lip, cast the most seductive look on the younger woman, and brought her mouth onto Therese's parted lips. With her mouth covering Therese's, their moans became muffled and lost all bearings. 

"Let me take over, sweetheart." She removed her young lover's hand, now coated with wetness, and kissed every finger and knuckle once. She then placed her own thigh in between Therese's thighs and moved it back and forth, allowing the slickness to assist her action. 

"Carol....." Therese lowered her gaze and watched helplessly as Carol's thigh continued moving, hitting her sensitive spot, driving her to insanity. 

"Would you like me inside you now, darling?" 

"Yes....yes....please."

And so Carol carefully inserted two fingers inside her young lover and thrusted very slowly marveling at the softness and tightness. 

"Sweetheart, we fit together. We fit nicely."

"Only you....it's.....only you Carol...you're the only one.....who fits inside me."


	3. Chapter 3

"Carol, I don't think I can...." 

"Oh darling. Everyone's minding their own business."

Carol's features strangely reminded Therese of that afternoon they were reunited at the Ritz Tower. So genuine, so beseeching and so very vulnerable. Except at this moment, Therese was the one bearing all the vulnerability. 

As Therese wrestled with her dilemma, a tall, broad shouldered man in a white jacket approached them, wearing a huge grin on his face. Carol tilted her head upwards and almost immediately, she threw the man an outright murderous stare that quickly drove the poor lad away. 

"So, would you, darling?" Carol pressed on.

\-----------------

Therese stood in front of the full length mirror, completely naked after taking a long and elaborate shower. She checked the red lines running vertically along her abdomen and the bruise on the inside of her left arm. Oh, the remnants of their heated love making by the foyer just a few nights ago. She closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh, a happy sigh. 

She slipped on the pair of black satin panties that she had carefully picked out at a lingerie shop downtown. She had gone with Louise after work one evening and made the girl promise not to say a word to anyone, especially Carol. 

She pulled up her matching stockings before attaching the garter clasps to the top edge. She looked in the mirror again and smiled triumphantly at her reflection.

\--------------------

"Sweetheart, have you given any thought to what you'd like me to do to you when we're home later?" asked Carol, very casually, as she took a sip of wine from her glass. 

Therese, incredulous, nearly choked on the piece of asparagus she had just put in her mouth. "Carol!" Her eyes widened, as if reprimanding the woman for her inappropriateness. 

Carol remained insistent, looking persistently at the younger woman. "Well, have you?" asked Carol, a wicked smirk hanging on her face.

Therese gulped down the water from her glass, trying to dissipate the heat that was gathering in her face. Her mind was racing a mile a minute as she remained stunned by the topic that Carol had effortlessly ambushed her with. That was typical Carol. Especially at times like this. Unpredictable, random and so very difficult to say no to. 

And just then, a smartly dressed waiter walked up to their table and offered Therese a refill. Not knowing where to look and unable to hide the redness on her face, Therese hurriedly thanked the man and sent him on his way. 

Carol cocked her head to the side, waiting for a response, waiting patiently. 

Knowing there was no way out of this, Therese decided to just play along. "I thought maybe....maybe tonight....you could....I mean I could lean against the wall."

"Oh, just like the other night by the foyer?" Carol asked clearly relishing in the playful awkwardness she was imposing on poor Therese.

"Yes....except that...I'll...I'll face away from you this time."

"I see. And will you be totally naked?"

"I'll....I'll have nothing on but my high heeled shoes and...."

Carol let out a gasp and covered her lips partially with her fingers. She took a deep breath to compose herself. 

Another waiter in a light blue suit and black bow tie, came by their table with the dessert menu. "Would you ladies be interested in something decadent this evening?"

Carol lifted her eyes. "Decadent?" She stared at the man blankly. 

"Our house speciality, the chocolate soufflé," said the young man with a cheerful smile reaching his eyes.

"No, thank you. We're fine." Therese impatiently chimed in. 

Therese watched as Carol tried hopelessly to regain her composure. "And besides the shoes....I'll also leave on my stockings and garter belt." Therese continued, seemingly taking the lead in the conversation this time.

"My, my. Where ever did you get those thoughts from?" Carol's face was now slightly flushed. 

"I just thought .....you might like to make love to me in that way."

Carol's eyes softened and she looked at her young lover so very ardently, so full of love, and so very full of lust. 

"Darling, you have no idea how much I'd like that." And almost spontaneously, her hand crept up to her partly exposed collarbone but as the coolness of her hand touched her warm skin, her fingers jerked back and she pulled her hand into midair making a gesture of fanning herself. She exhaled loudly and refocused her gaze on her young lover. 

"And....what will I be doing to you when you're standing in that position?"

"You'll kiss your way down my back and...your hand will come around my waist...and....you'll pleasure me between my legs. And...and your other hand....your fingers will be thrusting....very slowly inside me from behind. And....your mouth..."

"Good evening, ladies. May I interest you in some desserts? Here's....."

"No!" Both women yelled simultaneously.

Startled and with a puzzled look, the waiter retreated and left the two women alone. 

Therese inhaled deeply and breathed out a quiet sigh, but her relief was promptly replaced by a troubled expression. 

"Carol, I feel...."

"What is it, darling?"

"Telling you these things....I think....it's made me...." 

The redness returned to Therese's cheeks as she tried hopelessly to complete her sentence. She lowered her gaze and fiddled with the empty glass next to her plate. 

Carol, oh how Carol could read Therese like a book, a book written just for her, picked up on what the problem was right away.

"Sweetheart, would you remove your panties if I asked you to?"

And for the second time that evening, Therese found herself back in the middle of another dilemma, a dilemma brought about by such an outrageously indecent proposition.

"Carol, I don't think I can...," said Therese, her eyes timidly scanning her surroundings. 

"Oh darling. Everyone's minding their own business." 

Just then, the tall, broad shouldered maitre d' approached their table smiling from ear to ear. "How's everything here? May I offer you more wine or anything? Would you like some of our complimentary desserts? We have the....."

And if murderous stares could cast a magic spell, the headwaiter would have vanished into thin air by now.

Carol turned to her young lover again. "So, would you, darling?" She pressed on. 

She watched as Therese's breathing quickened, her chest falling and rising. She then observed how Therese slipped her hand under the linen covering the table, her body slightly bent over. She continued holding her gaze on Therese as though emanating words of encouragement. 

And before long, Therese was straightening herself in the chair, sitting up straight again, her face flushed and her eyes checking if anyone around her took notice of what she just did. 

"Carol..."

Carol brought her hand under the table, reached as far as she could until she came into contact with Therese's clenched fist. She stroked her young lover's hand once and twice. 

"I love you." 

And Therese released what was in her closed hand, trusting Carol with it, just as how she handed over her heart months and months ago. 

Carol clutched the scanty fabric in her hand, her sense of touch coming alive against the coolness of the satin, against the subtle hint of dampness on the piece of garment. She smiled to herself for her heart was bursting with endless sparks of love. Love for her dearest Therese who trusted her and no one else, with something this intimate. She carefully slipped the fabric into her purse and looked up to find Therese beaming at her, simply beaming. 

"I think it's time we get the check," said Carol, her eyes combing the large dining section filled with tables and tables of elegantly dressed patrons, all seemingly engrossed in their own versions of indecent proposition. 

"Oh for Christ's sake! Where's the goddamn waiter when we need him?"


	4. Chapter 4

By the time the two women scampered out of The Plaza, the black leather strap watch on Therese's wrist had struck ten. Heaven only knew what took the staff so long to bring around their check and retrieve their belongings from the cloakroom; all that coming from an eating establishment of such high caliber.

The air outside was balmy and light, with a mild breeze weaving its way through the near-empty streets, as half of New York had turned in for the evening and the other half, slowly clearing out. Only the occasional couple strolling along the sidewalks, stealing kisses in dark corners were visible. Ghastly-looking neon signs that had earlier illuminated the streets were being shut off one by one like the toppling of domino tiles, leaving the stores now bathing in the warm yellow lights of the street lamps. And hence, it was too perfect a setting for Carol and Therese not to take advantage of.

But then, there was a more pressing matter at hand that both women had to deal with. Therese, deprived of a piece of her undergarments and Carol, her unconquerable appetite to rip off the rest of Therese's garments.

It was Carol who spoke first as they stood on the curb, mindful of each other's inability to proceed.

"Sweetheart, you know I'd like nothing more than to rush home this very second and make mindless love to you, but there's....there's this place I've been meaning to show you for awhile now. And I thought...perhaps, tonight would be the right time."

As if expecting Carol to elaborate on her intention, Therese remained quiet without averting her gaze.

"You'll find out soon." That was all the answer that Carol offered as she lifted her arm to motion to an idle taxi under a street lamp. She opened the door for Therese and held her hand for support as the younger woman slid into the car.

"Sir, could you take us to this address please? And could you hurry? It closes in half an hour." Carol handed a piece of paper to the driver who squinted his eyes trying to make out what was written on the paper.

"That's a long way from here and I don't think thirty minutes..."

"Look, I'll double or triple the fare if you could just get going now." Carol was not about to give up, not especially when she was so close to giving her dearest Therese what she truly deserved. "And use the quickest route, please." 

The windows in the backseat were rolled down just enough to beckon the fresh air as the vehicle purred down the street. Carol watched her young lover shifting in her seat, keeping her flowing chiffon skirt close to her legs. She watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and pull her light brown cardigan close to her chest. Her eyes were cast downward as if she had suddenly become shy in Carol's presence. Her legs shifted again beneath the skirt and this time Carol had to interfere.

She reached her right hand out and gently laid it on the younger woman's closed knees, preventing her from making any further movements. "Don't," said Carol as her hand glided downward, lower and lower until she caught the hem of Therese's skirt. She slipped her hand underneath the skirt and the back of her hand instantly fell on the side of her young lover's calf. The contact, separated merely by the thin material of Therese's stocking, felt tender and so fiery at the same instant. Carol lifted her eyes and met Therese's gaze which seemed to urge her to go on. "Why can't I keep my hands to myself whenever I'm with you?" Carol asked, her voice low and husky, and her lips curved upwards.

"You're not supposed to. I love that you can't keep your hands off of me," said Therese, subtle dimples forming on her cheeks. "But I don't think we can finish before we get there."

"Who says we have to finish?" The mischievous grin appeared on Carol's face again.

And so in the semi-darkness of the backseat of a New York taxi, amidst shifting shadows and lights, Carol's hand roamed freely beneath the younger woman's skirt. So freely it leapt from stocking to exposed skin to straps, reaching higher and higher, so dangerously close to where she knew her young lover would not be able to keep her composure.

And then, through the chiffon fabric, a thin hand found Carol's own hand. Uncertain of the gesture, Carol shifted her head to face Therese, trying to look for clues. The younger woman's eyes seemed rounder, and her gaze so profound it was drawing Carol's energy into her own body. Carol felt her hand being boldly maneuvered until it rested on the inside of her young lover's thighs.

"Touch me," said Therese, her left hand hovering over Carol's through the thin material of her skirt. Her other hand found its way to the door handle and she gripped it in anticipation of the next series of events.

Needless to say, the events that followed had the taxi driver throwing multiple glances over his shoulder. The rear view mirror was not of much help so with his body swiveled to one side, the concerned man asked, "Everything all right back there? Do you need..."

"Everything's okay. And at the rate we're moving, we won't make it before the next President gets sworn in. So would you hurry and speed along already!"

So the driver did and they sped off in the direction of the Lincoln Tunnel.

* * *

 

About a block away from the entrance of a traffic tunnel, construction work was being carried out to put in a third tunnel alongside the current two, making the area and its surroundings cluttered with barricades, building supplies and equipment. In one corner of the site, under the harsh lights, dozens of workers could be seen shoveling gravel into wheelbarrows. At the other end, another few dozens were drilling holes into the ground. A sturdy man was fervently barking out orders as he patrolled the area. Amid the cacophony, no one seemed to pay any attention to the large unguarded hollow space that hid quietly in the ground on the outside of a barricade.

And in that particular moment, out of nowhere, a taxicab came charging onto the site and broke through the fencing.

The sound of screeching brakes could be heard from all directions.

Then came a thump that nearly took out a bystander's hearing.


	5. Chapter 5

"Guard these with your life. Phil will kill me if he finds out."

"Thanks, Dannie. You're a star. I feel forever indebted to you."

She was about to head out when Dannie caught her arm and in a whisper, he asked, "Why do you need them? They're not for your set decoration, are they?"

Therese shook her head without wiping off that silly grin from her face. She clutched the object in her arm and swaggered across the lobby, making her way to the door.

"Give Carol my best, will ya? Tell her Louise and I will drop by after work. We'll bring her carnations....and daisies," Dannie shouted from down the hallway.

\-----------------------

"Sorry I'm late. I was held up with a difficult client who wanted nothing but his own ideas....we had to scrap the design and start all over. And I was confronted by grumpy Nurse Roberts on my way up. I hope I haven't missed visiting hours..."

She stopped when she realized Carol was not listening. Carol looked distant. Carol seemed annoyed. She was upset. Upset with her for being late. She was not familiar with this side of Carol. Not at all.

"Carol?"

"You have no compassion for my poor nerves," said Carol and looked away with her bottom lip protruded.

Therese's hand flung to her mouth, trying to stop a chuckle but her well-formed dimples gave it all away. Oh, how inappropriate. She almost felt guilty for doing that. More so when Carol shot her a long and hard side-eye, and continued pouting.

She supposed Carol had read the book again, the only reading material she had brought her, along with a few other things she had frantically grabbed from around the house to fit into a duffel bag the morning after the accident. But over the last three days she had slowly transported several other things to the Mount Sinai Hospital, including Carol's own down feather duvet and a bottle of rye whiskey; the content of the latter she had to disguise in a Coke bottle. There were only two things she did not and could not bring her: Carol's Marlboros and dark grey Zippo lighter. Perhaps this was the reason Carol was irritable.

With a cast on a fractured arm, wearing no make up, and clad only in a plain hospital gown, even so, Carol still looked breathtaking. In fact, to Therese, she looked wonderful just sitting on the milky white bed with her shoulders slouched against a milky white pillow. She looked like her Carol. And a sulking Carol looked child-like and Therese could not help but played along.

"You mistake me, my dear. I have the utmost respect for your nerves. They're my old friends. I've heard you mention them with consideration these past months at least."

Carol's eyes softened and her mouth curved upwards into a smile. A smile that chased away all of Therese's earlier anxiety. This was the smile that Therese had known. This same smile she had fallen for over and over again since the first time they met. This was the Carol she was familiar with.

Therese edged a little closer to the bed and brought her mouth to Carol's ear. She nibbled her earlobe and whispered, "Please don't be difficult." Then she took Carol's earlobe between her lips again, gave it a tug and pulled her lips away with a smack.

Carol gasped in delight at the contact but protested at its brevity. "Oh, Therese. I've missed you, darling."

Therese's face lit up. "I'm sorry for being late." Then, she suddenly remembered and stooped down beside Carol's bed. She rummaged through a pile of her belongings on the floor and said, "I thought you might need more reading material to stay busy." And from her handbag, she fished out what looked like a notebook with multiple rings on one side and the thickness of roughly an inch.

"Here. For your entertainment."

With her good hand, and a good dose of curiosity, Carol opened the binder. As her eyes zeroed in on what was inside the binder, her mouth fell open and let out a gasp. Her brows were knitted together into a furrow, the good kind of furrow, as she continued flipping through the neatly bound pages. Pages after pages. And then she paused. She paused as though she were upset again. Shifting her head to face Therese, her eyes narrowed.

"Oh you wicked girl! How could you! Given the condition I'm in." Carol swatted Therese's arm.

Therese lifted the binder out of Carol's possessive hand. "Very well then. I'll take it home." Then an idea popped into her head. "On second thought, even better, I'll describe a few to you....in detail. In explicit detail. Just so your mind doesn't sit idly when I'm not here, because we all know what an idle mind does, don't we?" A teasing smile stretched widely across the younger woman's face.

Carol's hand wanted to snatch back the object but Therese had already started turning the pages looking for her favorite. Splashed across these pages were beautiful women. Scantily clad women. Semi-nude women. Completely naked women. Women with voluptuous figures displaying their wares. Women ranging from the blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe to the mysterious brunette, Bettie Page to the wild and feisty redhead Rita Hayworth. These were the pictures of pin-up girls that many many GI's had hung on their walls and in their lockers when America was at war.

In a seductive manner, Therese began narrating. "This woman is sitting on a chair and...she has raven black hair with loose curls just above her shoulders. She's holding a sheet that barely covers...."

"Sweetheart, I don't think I'm following. My mind's all over the place today. So, why don't you just pose for me?" Carol sounded somewhat impatient.

A faint disappointment swept through Therese but she soon learned what Carol was up to. How good Carol was at manipulating her, always in a naughty way.

"Are you sure? I mean...given your condition." Therese countered Carol's request.

"Only condition I'm in is I'm going mad cooped up in this damn place and ....not being in the same bed with you every night.....and here you are sitting so close...looking so very fine isn't helping."

Therese blushed and held her fingers to her lips covering a bashful smile. It did not matter how many times Carol had made known to her how much she had wanted Therese, the redness on her cheeks would keep showing and it would always be a welcomed sensation. The feeling that Carol wanted her, only her and no one else that way.

"Would you, darling? Pose for me?"

Therese drew in a deep breath and made a beeline for the door. She locked it and exhaled.

"Only for you, Carol." And she dragged the chair she had been sitting in, away from the bed creating a distance of nearly five feet from Carol.

She sat herself on the chair facing Carol. Her legs were slightly parted. She gathered her smooth cotton skirt into ruffles and raised it above her knees, lifting it slowly, so excruciatingly slow until it was high enough that the top edges of her stockings peeked out from underneath the ruffles. Her eyes stayed fixed on Carol's, constantly seeking clues from every twitch, every crease and every move made by Carol like they were coded messages that only she could read. Therese freed her hands from her skirt letting some of the ruffles fall between her legs, and some on the outside of her thighs all the while making sure the edges of her stockings and garter straps were visible to Carol.

Before she went any further, Carol chimed in. "Would you undo the buttons of your blouse, sweetheart? The top three buttons."

And as if she had been waiting for that prompt all this while, Therese brought the fingers of her right hand up to the neckline of her blouse, her left hand resting on her knee. For some reason, her fingers were trembling as they pushed each button out of each slit. When she had undone the third button, she asked very coyly, "Carol, what should I do now?"

"Pull the shoulders of your blouse down, darling."

So Therese did just that. Her right hand pulled the left shoulder down and left hand the right shoulder, revealing the black lacy straps of her bra and a hint of cleavage.

"Now pull down the strap. The left one."

Therese's left hand moved up her chest, the back of her fingers slipped beneath the strap. She toyed with it a little bit before letting it fall off her shoulder.

"Show me your left breast."

Therese hesitated for a moment as her heartbeat grew thick. They were, after all, within the premises of a hospital. A public hospital. The Mount Sinai Hospital. But her right hand did not seem to mind for it had started tugging the edge of the left cup of her bra, pulling it down far enough to allow her breast to fall out.

She focused her gaze on Carol again and what she saw on her lover's face, the way her lover's teeth bit her lower lip, the way her lover's eyes shimmered with desire, the way her lover's knuckles turned white from gripping the side rails of the bed, she was certain that she had done everything that her lover requested correctly. But she wanted to know more. "What are you thinking, Carol?"

"I'm thinking ...perhaps you could touch your nipple and make it hard for me." Carol looked deeply into Therese's eyes, half pleading and half commanding. "Would you, darling?"

And again, Therese found herself giving in to Carol's demands. She covered her left breast with the palm of her right hand and gently squeezed it once, twice and three times. Then, all except the index finger retreated from her breast. This lone finger began its task of rubbing and pressing and soon enough the middle finger joined in to work her nipple to an erect position, just the way Carol had wanted it. As her right hand busied itself, her left hand moved up to her mouth. She was now holding her left index finger horizontally between her lips to keep any loud moans from escaping. Her eyes, slightly hooded, struggled to stay opened as she tried not to break contact with Carol. The furniture around her was reeling. The floor beneath her feet was reeling. The ceiling above her head was reeling. She was encapsulated in a whirlpool. A whirlpool of romance with her Carol.

"Ouch! Goddamnit!"

All passion crumbled and panic mounted in her. Therese flew to Carol's side. "Carol! Are you okay?"

"Yes." Carol grinned triumphantly into the shocked expression on her young lover's face. Therese wanted to slap herself for foolishly falling for another one of Carol's tricks. But Carol's uninjured arm had snaked around her waist, up her back and pressed her chest down to her mouth and she instantly wrapped her lips around Therese's left nipple. Before the younger woman could protest, Carol's tongue had started swirling. Carol's mouth had started sucking. Carol's teeth had started nibbling. And Carol's hand had crept up to the base of Therese's left breast. Her fingers squeezing the soft mound and her mouth feasting on the hard nub. It seemed so wrong and it seemed so sinful. An act such as theirs within the confines of a hospital room.

"Oh Carol....we....we mustn't....Carol...."

But it felt so right and it felt so natural. And Therese could not help but found her hands sliding to the back of Carol's head, holding it in place, helping Carol to lick faster, suck harder and bite deeper. So deep in the act they were oblivious to the happenings of the world outside the four walls of room 623.

to be continued.......


	6. Chapter 6

"Abby! I...I thought you were just here this afternoon?" 

Abby, dressed to the nines, carrying four bags of groceries enough to feed the entire hospital staff and patients, stood outside the threshold, unimpressed. It seemed that her elbows and hands, and possibly her knees, had been juggling between turning the handle of the locked door and balancing the large bags in her embrace. 

But then her demeanor turned into one of scrutiny as her eyes searched what obvious clues she could find on Therese's face. "Why's your face all flushed? And you're sweating. Did the air-conditioner give out?" Abby fired away as her eyes traveled down and below the younger woman's neck. "And you're missing a couple of buttons on your blouse....." She immediately craned her neck over Therese's shoulder to look toward Carol. Carol, oh Carol, if there was anyone who could play dumb so well, it was Carol. With her brows pulled together, Carol raised her gaze to the ceiling, looking suddenly very concerned about a tiny crack beside the fluorescent lamp. But then her cheeks were as flushed as Therese's. So wise old Abby only had to put two and two together to figure out what had been going on. 

"Nooo....no you did not!" Her voice was low like a half growl and her eyes, almost popping out of her skull, darted back and forth between Carol and Therese. She then straightened her gaze, a somewhat chilly gaze, on Therese. "This is a hospital. And might I add, the Mount Sinai Hospital." She paused and widened her eyes in a dramatic manner. "And she has a broken arm!" She gestured with her chin in Carol's direction. 

Just when Therese thought Abby was getting all worked up and actually chiding her for misbehaving, the two older women threw their heads back in harmony and let out an unrestrained laughter, that almost had Abby's groceries spilling out of the brown paper bags.

"And all this while we've been led to believe hospitals are free from dirt," said Abby trying hopelessly to tame her boisterous laughter as she placed her bags on the wooden table by the door and strutted over to Carol. 

"Anyway, my girl's staying with me this weekend. I'm cooking for her tonight. Moroccan." Abby spoke in a singsong. "And on Sunday, I was thinking I might take her to the place the address I gave you awhile ago. I think I lost it or maybe......"

Therese clicked the door shut and with her hands behind her, she leaned her back against the cool surface. Her mind was still a little hazy, her legs a little wobbly and her skin would not stop tingling all over. She stayed in that position for how long she was not sure. She was only half listening to the words being tossed between Carol and Abby, allowing their conversation to lull her into a dreamy mood as her mind drifted to the events preceding Abby's arrival. 

\----------------------

She pried her eyes open just enough to peer down at Carol's action. At Carol's vigorous action. Her lover's lips, tongue, fingers and thumb were orchestrating a performance in which Therese's eyes were the guests of honor. The biting and chewing, the sucking and licking, and the rubbing and pressing, until her nipple was rigid and raw to the touch. Until the skin surrounding it was sore. Until red marks after red marks appeared on the surface of her skin. Until jagged lines made by Carol's teeth ran haphazardly across her breast. Even until so, she did not make Carol stop. For she could feel it in her bones that Carol was making up for the four nights they had been deprived of physical intimacy. And she let her because she was her Carol. So, she wrapped Carol's head snugly in her hands, her fingernails digging a little harder into Carol's scalp and she continued watching in amazement the way her lover devoured her flesh, feeling nothing other than love.

Just when Therese was settling in and marveling at the show, Carol halted all activities and angled her head to face Therese. 

"Sweetheart, I want to see you." She seized Therese's left hand and held it to her lips, kissing every fingertip and knuckle once. "Would you....would you hike your skirt up for me?"

And as if it had a mind of its own, Therese's left hand withdrew itself from Carol's grasp and reached down to the hemline of her black cotton skirt. She lifted it beyond her knees, letting it glide past her light grey stockings and black garter straps, and white silk panties all the way up to the height of her slender waist, rendering herself exposed to Carol's eyes. But her vulnerable state did not only attract Carol's eyes for Carol's hand had begun meandering up her thighs. The back of Carol's hand was skimming the outside of her thighs and then the inside of her thighs, her fingers weaving in and out of the black straps. 

And at one point, one particular moment, Carol's fingers ventured so far up that they, without any intention, touched the crotch of Therese's silk panties. Both women gave out a simultaneous gasp. 

"You're....you're drenched, sweetheart."

"I...I can't help it. It's your fault. You made me....you made me, Carol...." Her voice so low it was barely above a whisper.

But so accusatory were those words that Carol's fingers seemed to have gained renewed courage and she boldly tugged the scanty fabric upward making Therese gasp again at the friction on her sensitive spot. With each tug, Therese's gasps grew a little louder, a little deeper and a little less inhibited. Her mouth and her eyes opening and closing depending on how hard Carol's tugging was. Her hand balled into a fist and gripped the fabric of her skirt until she felt her nails sinking into the palm of her hand. 

Then, the tugging stopped. The friction stopped. Carol's hand had stopped moving. So abrupt it contradicted the heated moment they were in.

"I want to touch you." And when Therese did not respond, Carol tried again. "Please let me touch you." This time there was an unmistakable glint in her grey gaze as she solicited the younger woman for permission. 

They had treaded too far it was too late to return to innocence. And Therese was determined not to let anything get in the way of their love-making. So she did what she was requested to do. 

With her right hand, Therese hooked a finger around her panties and shoved the moist fabric to the side granting access to Carol's long fingers. But Carol did not touch her right away. Instead Carol stroked the inside of her thighs, softly pressing them outward, persuading Therese to spread her legs. 

They had never been intimate in this way before. With Therese holding her garments up and aside making way for her lover. Certainly not when one of them was physically challenged. And even more challenging was the uncertainty of time they had before Dr. Isles or grumpy Nurse Roberts came banging on the door, possibly calling security when they realized it had been locked from the inside. But security was the last thing on Therese's mind as Carol's fingers, so soft yet so determined, continued caressing the inside of her thighs. She wanted to be completely bare for her Carol. She wanted to feel the excitement of being caught for being naughty for her Carol. Because in the end, there was a reward waiting for her. There was always a reward. Therese needed no further persuasion and her legs spread apart for her lover. 

"My angel. You're beautiful. I love you." 

And Carol brought her fingers in between Therese's thighs, dwelling in the wetness. "Oh, darling. I've missed you....I've missed you." Her tone, so desperate and genuine, she slipped two fingers in immediately as if fearing she might miss the chance if she did not act quick enough. 

Therese stiffened at the contact, trying to rein in the sounds of her whimper but her breath was caught in her throat. There was always something bittersweet about every first touch, every first penetration in their love-making. There was the pleasure that was always tinged with pain. 

Therese observed how Carol had to bite her own lip so hard in order not to move her fingers too fast or too deep fearing she might hurt Therese. Her eyes stayed fixed on Therese's as she added her thumb to the work, coaxing a loud gasp to fall from Therese's mouth.

Then, very suddenly, all too soon, Carol's fingers were as still and upright as her grey gaze was straight on Therese's eyes.

"Sweetheart, would you....would you move your hips and ride my fingers?"

And just like that Carol handed over the control to Therese, requesting Therese to take over the leading the role. 

Therese drove her hips up the length of Carol's fingers, higher and higher until only Carol's fingertips were out of sight. Then she pursed her lips as she pressed her hips down along those long and motionless fingers all the way down until she felt Carol's thumb on her sensitive spot. She hissed and jerked back, and drove herself upwards again, this time only halfway along Carol's fingers before pushing her hips down to meet Carol's thumb. She continued sliding upwards and downwards ending upon Carol's thumb. Upwards and downwards and being rewarded with Carol's thumb. It was now Therese's performance for Carol's eyes, that unambiguous look that urged Therese to rock faster, dip harder, and clench tighter. So absorbed was she in satisfying Carol's eyes, she had not realized that Carol's thumb had begun its own show of rotating in circles. Clockwise, anti-clockwise and zigzag at intervals. Therese's moans turned sharper and surged higher until she was overwhelmed by her own sounds. 

And just then, she caught her reflection in the tinted window pane adjacent to Carol's bed. Her left breast hanging out of her blouse. A trail of red marks apparent on either side of her rigid nipple. The fringe of her hair, soaked in sweat, clung to her face. Her expression, distorted not with pain but with the urgency to climax. 

She released her skirt and grabbed the side rails of the bed with her trembling left hand because if she did not, she would collapse in a pool on the floor. Her hips rocked harder. Carol's bed squeaked harder. Carol's thumb pressed harder. Carol was as affected as Therese by all the sounds bouncing off the walls of the room, by all the emotions coursing through Therese's veins that had transformed themselves into rapid movements made by Therese's body. 

"I love you, Carol. I'll....I'll come for you." And that was a promise made to be kept. 

Her breathing was shallow. Her heart was pounding. Her muscles clenching. Her hands trembling. Her vision blurry. Her legs. She could not feel her legs. 

And then she came. She came like she had never come before. Like this was the last time she would ever come. 

"Lean on me, darling. I got you. I'm here. I got you, sweetheart." 

Through the white metal-framed window, the sun seemed to have dipped below the Manhattan skyline, leaving the day behind. Therese had not noticed a thing. With Carol's fingers anchored within her and Carol's thumb drawing confusing patterns on her, the sun could have turned white with black polka dots, grown four limbs, and performed cartwheels against the sky before perching on their window sill like Humpty Dumpty on a wall, even then, Therese would not have noticed a thing. Because she was that elated and Carol's touch was that intoxicating. She could never understand why people would resort to marijuana and amphetamine to get high. 

\-----------------------------  
"Therese....Therese, darling." Carol called out from her bed. 

Therese blinked her eyes open realizing she was still standing against the door. Someone was knocking at the door. 

"Oh, for Christ's sake! Would you wipe off that silly smile already?" Abby who looked out of place against the dull hospital furnishings, teased her. 

Therese whipped around as if she had just come out of a trance and yanked the door open. 

"Hi Dannie. Come in." 

"Work finished earlier than I thought....so here I am. But Louise sends her regards."

He was fumbling with something under his arm as he carefully handed Therese a bunch of pink and yellow carnations tied neatly with a long red ribbon. 

"The nurse at reception gave me this when I asked for Carol Aird's room. Said it came along in the ambulance on the night of the accident and it's been sitting in lost and found since then. Sorry I was....I took a quick look through it to make sure it belonged to Carol."

"Oh, that's all right. Thanks, Dannie." And she took the red leather purse from Dannie's hand. 

Dannie's eyes darted left and right and again twice within the same day, he asked in a whisper, "Does Carol always carry an extra pair of underwear in her purse?"

Therese's face crimsoned and she wished she could play dumb as well as Carol could.


	7. Chapter 7

She hopped and skipped merrily up the stairs to the sixth floor of the hospital without stopping to catch her breath. She floated down the hallway to room 623 humming the tunes of 'Walking My Baby Back Home' to herself. She was happy, happy, simply happy and not a single thing or anyone could burst her happy bubble. She greeted everyone along the way with a hello and a smile: the nurse with a permanent frown and a clipboard under her arm, several anxious family members outside the operating room, and the kind janitor who waved back a hello. 

The cast on Carol's arm had been removed and Therese was almost certain the doctors would let her go home by tomorrow. After all, it had been over two weeks since the night she was brought in. Two long weeks of spending every night apart from Carol. Waking up every morning without Carol hogging the duvet. Sitting at the breakfast table without the smell of Carol's coffee. Breathing in the air that was not mixed with Carol's cigarette smoke. Working on her sketches without hearing Carol muttering to herself in the living room. But soon, all that would come to an end because tomorrow night, she would be cuddling with Carol in their own soft luxurious bed and everything would return to the way they were. 

Then, the smile on her face fell into a thin line as she stood outside the door with her hand clutching the handle. Voices could be heard from inside the room. And it did not sound like Carol was performing a monologue. She moved closer and placed her ear against the hard surface hoping to eavesdrop on whatever was going on behind it. A woman was giggling, a light silvery sound that could not have been Abby's. And then there was Carol's voice, low and raspy. Then, back to more giggles. Whatever it was, Therese was about to find out. She turned the handle and gently pushed the door open. 

Standing beside Carol's bed, almost too close to Carol's bed, was Dr. Isles. With her back toward the door, the doctor's light auburn hair worn in a chignon shone elegantly under the white fluorescent light. She was wearing a maroon short-sleeved dress that fell just slightly below her knees showing off a pair of shapely calves. The outfit was complemented by a pair of bright red leather heels. Then it occurred to Therese that the shoes Dr. Isles was wearing were too high and too striking a color for a doctor who was on duty. And the dress hugged her hips and torso a little too snugly. She looked like she was off to a cocktail party. And the white coat. The white doctor's coat was nowhere in sight. Therese narrowed her eyes and wondered what the doctor was doing here so late. 

Having visited the place every day over the last two weeks, Therese had the schedules of all the doctors attending to Carol etched on her mind and this, without a doubt, was not the time for doctors to do their rounds and there were no accompanying nurses in the room. And it certainly did not look like Carol had suddenly stopped breathing and Dr. Isles was called in to resuscitate her. Or did Carol fall off the bed because she was having too much fun peeking into 'the binder?' And Dr. Isles just conveniently walked by and heard the loud thud? No, Carol could not have fallen off the bed even if she was indeed mentally connecting with the women inside the binder because on the bed, there were the sturdy side rails that would have prevented even a couple romping in it from sliding off. So why in the world was Dr. Isles in Carol's room? 

Therese quietly slipped through the door and stood against the white cold wall, watching the two women chatter away. Therese thought she should assess the situation a bit more before interrupting the doctor and Carol. She observed how the doctor twirled a loose strand of hair in her finger before brushing it behind her ear and her fingers lingered far too long on the side of her neck. How her feet seemed to be bouncing from side to side. How she fiddled with the gold bracelet on her wrist. And then for no apparent reason, she lifted Carol's arm and started pressing along the inside of Carol's elbow with her fingers and thumb. She went on to massage Carol's lower arm, Carol's hand and Carol's fingers. So excruciatingly slow, as if taking her time to relish in the suppleness of Carol's skin. And Carol did not protest or even so much as show any subtle sign of hesitation. The doctor must have given her something more than the usual medication. Perhaps, a potion she had specially brewed in her cauldron before graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Something was very wrong and Therese felt her stomach tightened in a nauseating way. 

It was now or never. This was her Carol and she was not about to take it lying down. (no pun intended).

She strode toward the bed, shoved Dr. Isles to the side with her elbow and yanked Carol's arm out of the doctor's hands. 

"Doctor, I'll take it from here. You may leave now." Therese said sternly and looked the doctor in the eye without flinching. She may be small in built but she was certain her stare was threatening and loud enough for the doctor to recognize the words 'back off'.

"Therese..." It was hard to tell if Carol was shocked or delighted to see her at that moment.

"Miss Belivet, I was just here to...." There was no place the doctor could hide her intentions. No way she could conceal her guilt. 

"Therese, Dr. Isles suggested that I stay another week just to be absolutely sure." Carol placed a hand on Therese's arm as if she were trying to break the tension in the room. And the tension did break. At least somewhat. 

"Well then, I...I should be on my way. I'm running late." Her voice quivered and her eyes were fidgety as she looked at Carol and then Therese. She turned and her high-heeled shoes clattered across the linoleum and out the door so fast like she could envision Therese picking up the porcelain flower vase and hurling it at her head if she did not vanish quick enough. And as a matter of fact, Therese did want to do exactly that. She was not someone who was easily provoked or resorted to physical aggression in the face of a conflict. Yet, strangely enough, that woman, that witch, made her want to throw all her self-restraint out the window and commit murder. 

With her jaws still clenched and heart beating unusually fast, she turned to Carol with a frown. "Why do you have to stay another week? You're more than fine to be out of here by tomorrow." 

Carol, not at all surprised that Therese had not taken the news well, tried to explain. "Well, they took the cast off this morning and Dr. Isles thought..."

"So she could flaunt her extremely auburn-colored hair from Mars and flirt shamelessly with you for another week?" Therese cut her off and glared, her face flushing. 

"Oh, my goodness. Come here, sweetheart. Come here." Carol opened her arms wide.

And Therese simply could not stay mad at Carol. At least, not when Carol looked at her with her eyes pleading and mouth half-closed, almost with an unadulterated innocence. After all, it was not Carol's fault that the witch doctor found her attractive. Even the most beautiful Greek goddess, Aphrodite would bow to Carol's attractiveness. 

So Therese walked meekly into Carol's arms and laid the side of her head on her lover's shoulder. Her fury had somewhat subsided in the warmth of Carol's embrace and she blinked away the tears that she had not realized were there. 

"Oh, sweetheart. I've missed hugging you with both my arms." Carol ran her hands in soothing circles on the younger woman's back. She gently lifted Therese's head and framed it with her hands. Brushing her young lover's hair to the side, she dropped several light kisses on her forehead and eyes. "Oh, you silly girl. The good doctor was just checking to make sure my arm muscles weren't too stiff. And it's just one more week. Seven short days. I'll be home before you know it." 

"I just....I just don't like the way she talks to you and...and touches you. I know...I know she has to touch you. It's her job. Still, I have all the right in the world to be upset." Mortified by her admission of jealousy, Therese buried her face into the crook of Carol's neck.

"Yes, you do." Carol shifted her head and placed little pecks on the younger woman's flushed cheek while her hands carried on with soothing circles on the small of her back. "You look adorable when you're jealous." She gently pulled Therese's face from her neck and smiled into her young lover's eyes. 

"It's not funny." Therese sounded serious and annoyed. 

"No, it's not." Carol shook her head in an attempt to appease her young lover. She took the younger woman's lips in her mouth and slowly kissed her. She used her tongue to part Therese's lips and her teeth to chew the parted lips.

"I want to touch you." Therese demanded, piercing her gaze into Carol's questioning eyes. 

"You are touching me, sweetheart." Carol answered and tried to kiss her young lover again. 

"I...I want to touch... more of you." And without waiting for Carol's response, she started pulling the strings that held Carol's gown together on the back. Her fingers tugged the strings until the back of the gown opened to reveal creamy white flesh between the seams of the fabric. Impatiently, she pulled down the left shoulder of the gown, her nails raking over the smooth skin in the process. 

Carol drew in her breath sharply and gripped the younger woman's small shoulders. "Therese...we..." But Therese had attached her lips next to Carol's collarbone not caring that her teeth had sunk into her lover's soft skin. Every nibble and bite was followed by a quick lick. "Oh, Therese....what would Dr. Isles think....when...when she examines me again...." An out of breath Carol was trying to fight the urge to stop her young lover. 

"She'd think....you're taken. That's what....she'd think." Therese said in between the series of sucking and nibbling. 

It did not take long before Carol gave in and started writhing helplessly under her young lover's agile lips. And those agile lips glided from one end of Carol's shoulder blade to the other, trailing red marks behind them. 

Therese then raised her lips to Carol's ear and flicked her tongue across the shell of the ear making Carol grip her shoulders tighter. Then, she whispered, "There are so many things I want you to do to me at home. So many many filthy things." And she licked Carol's earlobe in dizzying swirls while letting her hand drop to Carol's breast which she cupped very firmly through Carol's gown. As firmly as how a male patron would grope a waitress' buttocks at a diner. She squeezed Carol's breast without any gentleness and went on teasing Carol with her low whispering. "Things you could do to me with ....your hands...your fingers....your mouth...your tongue..." She punctuated the phrases with a harder squeeze on Carol's breast. And when she felt Carol's chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm, she wrapped her lips around her earlobe and sucked the soft flesh like she intended to swallow the whole of Carol's outer ear. She released the earlobe and gave it a lick before saying, "And if you're a good girl, I'll let you use any toy you want...on me...inside me...whichever way you want." Carol gasped and dug her nails into Therese's shoulders as if she had just found her secret being given away. Therese went on to lick the back of Carol's ear and whispered, "Yes....Abby told me...about the adult store in Jersey that we were supposed to visit....and...and...oh, Carol...I...I can't wait..." Her voice cracked and her own chest was falling and rising rapidly as if she were about to climax. 

Then, all too soon, Therese rose from Carol's embrace. "Well, I think I've made my point. Loud and ....very clear." She lowered her eyes and narrowed them into thin slits as she inspected the expanse of skin below Carol's collarbone, covered with bruises with an outline that resembled the letter T, well, not quite. But who cared anyway especially when together, the marks were nearly half the size of Therese's palm. That should do it. An unmistakable sign of a lover's bite. Unless Dr. Isles was visually impaired, she would not miss the marks and would stay away from seducing her Carol. 

She stood up and straightened her skirt looking ready to leave. 

"Darling....where...you're not leaving, are you?" Carol was pleading with her very grey eyes and her mouth was trembling. 

"Of course I am. It's way past visiting hours." Therese responded casually, feigning concern about abiding by the hospital policy. 

"But..but you can't leave me after....after what you did." Carol lowered her head and peered at what her young lover did to the smooth skin below her shoulder. 

"Oh, Carol. It's just one more week. Seven short days and you'll be home before you know it. You said so yourself." And with a cheeky wink, Therese turned on her heel and swaggered to the door.


	8. Chapter 8

Therese glided down the staircase just as how a debutante would, her head held high and her hand just barely grazing the oak banister. Except she was grinning instead of smiling coyly. At the bottom of the marble stairs, she turned at the corner onto a brightly lit corridor lined with sash windows on one side and doors painted in cornflower blue, on the other side. The East wing. Apart from the bright lights, this part of the premises hinted nothing about a hospital. 

Her mood lifted, her grin broadened, she replayed the scene in her head and grinned some more, relishing her moment of victory. Victory in shooing away that floozy of a doctor. Victory in marking her territory. If only she had brought her camera. She could have photographed the defeated look on Dr. Isles' face, pinned the picture up on the large bulletin board in the lobby and publicly shamed her for using cheap tactics to get close to someone who already belonged to someone else. Tactics that included dressing up for a job interview at a brothel if there were still such places. Tactics that consisted of making unscheduled and unnecessary after-hour rounds, preying on unsuspecting good-looking female patients who were left alone in their room. 

Alone in their room. 

Good-looking female patients. 

After-hour rounds. 

God damn it! What if Dr. Isles never left the hospital and decided to pop back into Carol's room? And found Carol in the predicament Therese had left her? And decided to help Carol out? Oh, God. Her heart twisted at the image of Dr. Isles finishing off what she had started. This was a scene she never wanted to play in her head. She pressed her palm across her mouth. Oh no. Oh, God, no. What had she done? The whole thing had backfired. She should not have teased Carol like that. She had only made matters worse for herself, and easier for that witch doctor. Through her own follies, she had inadvertently, like the old adage read, "paved the way" for the heroine to swoop in and rescue Carol, the damsel in distress. Oh God. No. No. No. She must go back to Carol immediately!

And then, something went around her body, something covered her mouth, and something hauled her into complete darkness. It happened so quickly she wondered if she'd been swallowed by one of the sash windows that mysteriously led to a different universe. 

But then, the scent, not perfume, not hair shampoo, not soap, yet so arresting and familiar it could only come from one source. 

There was a click and the light came on. 

And there it was. The object of her desire. Her perpetual sunrise. At that moment, she couldn't care less which universe she was thrown into. Anywhere would be fine as long as her little body was always pressed up against this warm softness, her mouth covered by the smoothest palm in the whole world, and her eyes forever staring into the unwavering grayness of Carol's gaze. There was no need for her to sprint back to Carol's room. Carol had come looking for her. And she had been worrying for nothing. 

Her mouth moved but her voice was muffled. Carol had not lifted her hand from Therese's mouth. 

"Sshh! We have to be quiet." Carol whispered before sliding her palm from Therese's lips to her jawline, down the side of her neck and then, resting it flat against the door behind Therese, trapping her in a compromising position. Gooseflesh formed on every inch of her body, her face burning and several special places on her, in her, were pleading to be touched by Carol. 

But where on earth were they? She pried her eyes from Carol's and quickly took in her surroundings. There were wall shelves stocked with bottles of rubbing alcohol and iodine and boxes of gauze and tape. A sink was attached to one wall and a mop in an orange bucket was propped up in the corner. 

The supply closet. 

Was the supply closet only meant for storing hospital supplies? Did people come in here for other business? Because it certainly did not look like Carol had brought them here to take inventory of how many bottles of iodine had been stolen. 

She and Carol were about to have a quickie in the supply closet of the Mount Sinai Hospital! Well, that wouldn't be so wrong, would it? After all, she had her back pressed against the door. If a nurse decided to retrieve a bottle of iodine, she still had time to straighten up while using her back to hold the door shut. And if the nurse asked, she could always say Carol needed some rubbing alcohol for that tiny bruise below her collarbone. The bruise that had mysteriously appeared after Therese visited her. She blinked her eyes once and stretched her mouth upwards.

"Are you taking me hostage in the supply closet, Mrs. Aird?" asked Therese, her voice sinking to its lowest register, sultry, playful, the same voice she used with Carol each time before they were up to no good. 

"Well, that depends on what's appropriate between the hostage and the hostage-taker," said Carol, her smile lopsided. 

"Is this appropriate?" asked Therese. She raised her hand, curled her fingers under the neckline of Carol's thin cotton gown and yanked her closer. She slipped her other hand around the back of Carol's neck, stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips against Carol's. 

Carol's mouth opened. Therese's tongue darted out to taste Carol's top lip. Carol captured Therese's tongue between her teeth and the kiss deepened. Therese found herself swaying. She was falling, flailing to stay upright. She had to hold on to something or she might collapse and give herself a concussion. Her hand landed on the cold ceramic edge of the sink. And she was made annoyingly aware of exactly where they were. Almost too abruptly, she broke the kiss. 

"Carol....the nurse...or someone might need supplies," said Therese, trying to draw air into her lungs. 

Carol, stunned and looked equally annoyed, retorted, "We can speed things up if you help me get rid of your clothes." She tugged Therese's blouse out of her skirt, grasping the hemline in her fists. "Plus, I'm sure the nurses and patients can wait. It's not like there's going to be an emergency or crisis at this hour....calling for extra..." Carol's eyes fell on the box of gauze sitting squarely on the shelf. "....gauze." 

"But...we shouldn't." Therese insisted. But of course, it was only a halfhearted disagreement because her hands and fingers readily betrayed her, flying to the collar of her olive green blouse and started pushing white pearl buttons through the holes, working all too rapidly as though her shirt had caught fire and she had to undress as fast as she could. 

Amidst the commotion with the blouse, Carol's hands had snuck under Therese's pleated cotton skirt. Her long fingers roamed beneath the cotton like they had been admitted into their favorite playground. Playing with no lack of enthusiasm, with nylons, delicate skin, lace straps and clasps. Until they touched soft silk fabric. 

"Are these the black ones?" asked Carol, the pad of her fingers sweeping across Therese's undergarment as if by doing so, she could foretell the color of the flimsy material. 

Therese shook her head. "They're scarlet. And...they're new."

"For me, darling? You wore them for me?"

"Yes."

Carol's hands, on the move again, slipped under the waistband and explored more thoroughly. 

"My goodness, how can you be so wet so soon?"

"I've...I've been like this since....just now when I touched you....in your bed."

Therese bit her bottom lip and tilted her head back. Held in that position, there was really nothing else she could do except get wetter and wetter. And nearly unexpectedly, Carol whipped her around so her face was now toward the door. 

"I seem to remember this position to be a little fantasy of yours? Is it still so?" asked Carol, her lips skimming the shell of Therese's ear. 

"Yes. Yes...Carol...please..."

"Two fingers?"

"Yes."

"Want me to rub you with my other hand?"

"Yes."

"Am I thrusting too hard?"

"No....I like it...just like that."

"Good God! Darling, you're...you're so tight. Do that again, sweetheart. Squeeze me. Yes...that's right."

Therese placed the palms of her hands flat against the door, the same height as her forehead, while her head bounced back and forth, at times hitting the back of her hands. She could not tell which was louder: her jagged breath and moans or the slapping sound Carol was making behind her.

When she thought she could not hold it any longer, a booming voice came through the PA system, accompanied by ear assaulting sirens. 

"Attention! This is Chief Inspector Sanford Garelik. This hospital is now on a full lockdown. I repeat. This hospital is now on a full lockdown. Stay where you are, stay quiet and away from the windows. A patient on the sixth floor has gone missing and we believe there's a hostage crisis going on in the East wing."

How...? What...? What in the world just happened? How could this happen? She was so close. Carol's hands had stopped moving. Carol's fingers had stopped their ministrations. No, she would not deny herself this satisfaction. The inspector did say to stay where they were and there were no windows in the closet. The only order Therese found difficult to follow was to stay quiet. But the sirens were already so loud. It didn't make sense for her to remain quiet. So she slid her hand down from the door and grabbed Carol's hand in hers, helped her move her fingers between her thighs and chanted, "Don't stop....please Carol....don't stop."

The announcement repeated itself. Over and over.

Carol's palm slapped against Therese's buttocks, over and over. 

"Sweetheart, turn your face to me. Moan into my mouth. I want you to cry into my mouth when you get there."

And Therese got there all right, as the sirens continued blaring above them.


	9. Chapter 9

Carol's POV

"Therese!" Carol yelled, her arm stretched out, her hand frozen at an angle and her fingers wiggling in the air willing her young lover not to leave. But the heavy gray door had clicked shut, ending her plea. 

Incredulous, irritated, nonplussed, Carol shifted her back against the oversized pillow, one hand clutching the top edge of her crimson duvet. She lowered her head and examined the bruise just below the front of her left shoulder. Reddening, darkening, growing by the second, she wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She brought two fingers up and poked at the red marks. Angry red marks left by an angry Therese. A jealous Therese. A hurt Therese. But nothing had actually transpired between Carol and the doctor. There was no kissing. There was no touching other than the usual doctor-patient prodding. There was, perhaps a tiny bit of inconsequential and innocuous flirting. Dr. Isles was telling her how her cheeks had a lush rosiness to them now that she'd gotten the colors back on her face. Carol was telling the doctor how much she adored the way she wore her hair and how soft it must feel if let loose. And the doctor told Carol how supple her skin was now that the injured patch had healed properly. She had brushed her fingers along Carol's upper arm and lower arm and upper arm again as she continued paying compliments to how good Carol looked. And Carol had not disliked it. Light sensual touch that could put just about anyone in the mood. Light sensual touch that was so calming and therapeutic there was no need to ever go to a masseuse again. Light sensual touch that made one go weak in the knees. Light sensual touch that.....Therese had witnessed! Her Therese was there absorbing the entire scene like what a sponge was meant to do. Carol furrowed her brows into a tense knot. The veins in her head thrummed in her ears. Her heart raced like it badly needed a gold medal in the Olympics. Every inch of her dermis cringed at the memory of Dr. Isles' hands on her.

Oh, God! Oh, no! Oh, calamity!

Ever since that fateful afternoon on which she and Therese were reunited at the Ritz, and later that evening when her dear Therese had again shown up at the Oak Room, she resolved never again to make her young lover feel unwanted, unloved, and above all, hurt her in the tiniest of ways. Apparently, she had failed at keeping her promises. Abby wasn't wrong about calling her a nitwit because she actually really truly was a nitwit. 

Oh, calamity! 

She pulled up the shoulder of her cotton gown, tied the strings on the back together, and slid her legs from under the duvet and off of the bed. She had to go after Therese. And she had to go right away. She couldn't let her darling Therese leave this place feeling unloved, abandoned, unworthy of her attention, speculating if Carol had gotten bored with her, if the novelty had worn off and their relationship had run its course. 

She dashed across the room, tripping over herself nearly sending the flower vase flying off the cherry wood credenza. She clutched the door handle, pushed it down and yanked the door open. Just as she was ready to storm out, an unbidden thought stopped her and she hesitated at the threshold, supporting herself with one hand on the doorjamb. 

Oh, calamity! 

She had to plot out a reason for leaving the room. She couldn't have the entire hospital staff form a search party looking for a missing patient. Her head swirled with all sorts of ideas, some sensible, some ridiculous and some nearly had her staggering backwards. She wiped the beads of sweat gathering above her lip. She was wringing her hands until her knuckles felt raw beneath the sore skin. She was as antsy as someone on their way to the scaffold. 

Then, she caught sight of someone, someone on their way to some place. A tall slender figure ambling along the narrow hallway, shoes barely rising above the linoleum floor. It was a woman with her thick silver hair pulled back, possibly in a neat bun, the fluorescent light reflecting off her wide forehead. Mrs. Caldwell. Or Mrs. Campbell. Carol could never remember her name. Mrs. Caldwell or Mrs. Campbell would often barge in to Carol's room by mistake and start talking about her day. About five or ten minutes into her monologue, she would turn to Carol, her expression confused and annoyed. Then, it would hit her that it wasn't her husband she was nagging at. 

"Good evening, ma'am!" Carol called out toward Mrs. Caldwell or Mrs. Campbell. "Would you like to take a nap in my bed? You'll be all set for the next visiting hours when you wake up."

\----------------

She was panting profusely by the time she reached the bottom of the stairs. She bent over, hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. Age definitely was catching up. She turned at the corner and closed her eyes for a moment, almost convinced that she had missed Therese. But the very next time she opened her eyes, there it was. The object of her affection. Her angel, trotting down the corridor. At that moment, Carol throttled calamity in the neck the same way she would aggressively put out her freshly lit and smoldering Marlboro in the ashtray. 

Her steps quickened and as she got nearer, she noticed Therese had slowed down and seemed about to turn around. Carol lunged forward, wrapped one arm around Therese's torso and covered her mouth with her hand. She used her elbow to nudge and her foot to toe the nearest door open. And as the door slammed shut, they were bound to each other in total darkness. 

\----------------

Carol circled an arm around Therese's small waist and curled her fingers under the waistband of her skirt. She sank to her knees pulling down the skirt with her, letting it pool on the cemented floor, mindfully aware that Therese's charcoal black leather heels were still clinging to her delicate feet. Therese's scarlet undergarment was now at eye level, so skimpy, leaving nothing to her imagination. She leaned in and nuzzled the softness of the satin. 

"For me? You wore them for me, darling?" Carol asked, stretching her neck backwards, lifting her face toward Therese. 

"Yes." Therese's low sultry voice tore through Carol as violently as a hurricane and there was no way she could make slow tender love to her this time. She hooked her thumbs under the waistband of Therese's scarlet panties and yanked them all the way down, past her thighs and stockinged legs. 

As the scrap of silk slid down to Therese's ankles, Carol remembered with fondness, that evening two weeks ago at the restaurant when her young lover had bashfully handed her her black satin panties under the table. She raised Therese's feet, one at a time and tugged the sheer fabric off her ankles. Carol's mouth curved upwards into an arrogant grin filled with cocky pride, as she held the possession tightly in her hand. 

"Carol, don't lose them." 

"I won't," Carol replied and tucked them into the side pocket of Mrs. Caldwell or Mrs. Campbell's wool cardigan that she had borrowed. 

"Carol...Carol no, you'll make me come too soon." Therese's thin fingers threaded through Carol's hair, gently pushing her away. 

"Just the tip of my tongue....please....darling. Please....I'll go slow." And she thrusted her mouth forward, the tip of her tongue in between Therese's thighs. She tapped very lightly, very cautiously, lost in the sweet melodious sighs above her. 

They said the first taste was always the sweetest. Carol could most certainly attest to that. The longing, the anticipation, and when the wait was finally over, the sweetness was the reward. When she closed her lips and tried taking in more, the grip on her shoulders tightened and once again, she was pushed away.

"Please Carol...no...not so soon," said Therese, her breathing erratic. Then, she did something that also made Carol breathe erratically. She parted her thighs, lifted one foot off the floor and let it rest on the orange bucket in the corner. 

Carol immediately took the bait and moved her fingers back and forth between Therese's spread legs. Back and forth just on the outside, taking her time, enjoying the warmth that was gradually coating her fingers. 

She rose to her feet and cradled Therese's head in her hand. She gently pulled Therese's hair so her head was slightly tilted back. Then she lifted her other hand to her young lover's lips, teasing them with the delicious wetness on her fingers. She sealed their mouths together and shared the sweetness that was Therese's. 

\----------------

The sirens had stopped. There was no closure. No further announcements were made. Carol could only assume that they had found Mrs. Caldwell or Mrs. Campbell back in the bed again, sleeping soundly and that the whole panic was a false alarm. 

"You believe me now?" Carol asked as she stared into Therese's eyes, so much darker than usual under the soft yellow light of the supply closet. 

Therese, her face inquisitive and confused, widened her eyes. 

"There's no one....no one other than you that I see in the seat beside me....twenty years from now..." Carol's throat clenched and she swallowed. "...when i drive across the country. It would always be you, Therese." She pressed her lips on Therese's nose. "...would always be you." She stepped back. "You'll always be the one handing me a sandwich from the picnic basket in the backseat, holding the wheel while I try to get my damn fur coat out of the way. It would always be you in a thousand cities, a thousand houses, a thousand hotel and motel rooms, in foreign lands. Because when I see our lives stretched out ahead of us, I know it will never be just a paragraph." 

A lone tear began its journey at the corner of Therese's eye, meandered down the contours of her face, touching the high cheekbone, the slight hollow below it and just before it got as far as the jawline, Carol caught it with the pad of her thumb, veered the offending liquid off its course, ending its sorrowful solitary journey.


End file.
